Autoliv provides the "eyes" for driver assistance systems

May 14, 2013 //
By Christoph Hammerschmidt

All scenarios around automatic driving require a number of sophisticated sensors inside the cars. This scenario is what supplier Autoliv is aiming at with its Stereo Vision Sensing System (SVS) it rolls out these days.

The stereo vision system will help vehicle manufacturers meet the test criteria that EuroNCAP recently announced to promote Autonomous Emergency Braking, Intelligent Speed Assist, Lane Departure Assists and Pedestrian Protection. Autoliv's new active safety system can also be used for four additional applications, mainly in the segment of comfort systems. The delivery of the camera will start in 2015 in a European premium vehicle model, but Autoliv did not want to elaborate in which brand.

Currently, Mono cameras (MVS) find increasing acceptance in the automotive market, Autoliv said. These systems have one camera which is used for such functions as Speed Sign Recognition, Lane Departure Warnings, and Autonomous Emergency Braking.

By adding another camera in tandem with the first camera, the system can provide a 3D model of the area in front of a vehicle. As a result, stereo cameras such as the Autoliv Stereo Vision System can compute the distance to different objects in front of the vehicle and determine their shape and size. The Stereo Vision System calculates the direction and speed of objects moving closer to the vehicle. As a result, it is able to predict if, for instance, a pedestrian is at risk of being hit by the vehicle and warn the driver or brake the car.

Autoliv’s Stereo Vision System has a field of view of 50 degrees and recognizes objects within 120 meters. To provide the best view, the stereo vision cameras are mounted high on the front windshield behind the rear view mirror.

The stereo camera will be used for Autonomously Emergency Braking, Intelligent Speed Assist, Road/Lane departure warning and Pedestrian Protection, which is proposed to be included in EurNCAP’s star rating of new vehicles from 2017. Additionally, the new vision system can be used as sensor for driver assistance systems such as Adaptive Cruise Control, Queue Assist, Light Source Recognition and Road Surface Monitoring. This application automatically adjusts the suspension ahead of